Monterey Sports Center
301 E. Franklin St., Monterey
(831) 646-3730, monterey.gov
The Monterey Sports Center has captured the flag yet again, earning readers’ vote as the best place to work out – or maybe it’s to loosen up in the sauna, or train for your bike race goal in a spin class, or learn how to swim. Or maybe just to fly down the epic 180-foot water slide (trust us, you will get some air). “In the early 2000s, we started moving away from a traditional fitness center to a wellness center,” Sports Center Manager Bill Rothschild says. It’s an evolving concept, coupled with ongoing maintenance needs; a $1.3 million pool remodel is just completed, plus a $1.2 million HVAC/dehumidifier overhaul. (Rothschild is already envisioning the next upgrades to modernize the locker rooms and improve shower facilities, still the originals from 1992.) There’s something for everyone here, whether you’re recovering from an injury or at the top of your fitness game.
